The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-07-23

had. cows milk properly prepared,
offers the best substitute. Great care
should be exercised to secure pure milk
from healthy. well-fed cows. This is
of Importance, and should not be neg
| lected.
The milk should be obtained IS fresh
as possible, and kept in cool place in
perfectly clean vessels. 1t would be
better, perhaps, to Immediately boil
the milk. especially in hot weather,
when liable to rapid decomposition.
Never keep milk in damp, moul1y eel
lars, or in those containing decaying
vegetables or other matter. Neither
should it be kept in sleeping rooms,
or those constantly inhabited. 1t
should be remembered that nothing so
readily collects and preserves filth of
all kinds, as milk. Cows milk, to be
fitted for food for young infants, must
be diluted, from one third to one-half,
and slightly sweetencd and sailed.
For diluting the milk, barley-water is
much better than pure water, acting
both as u dilutent and as a food. 1t
may be prepared by boiling table
spoonful of ground barley in a pint of
water for fifteen minutes, and carefully
straining through cloth. 1t is much
better to buy the whole barley, which
may be sufficiently ground in an ordin,
airy coffee-mill. The proportion OF
barley water to be added will depend
on the age of the child.
This food must be given at regular
intervals. and to young infants should
be administered blood warm, through
a nursing bottle. A plain bottle of
small size should be used, with nipple,
avoiding long rubber tubes, and bottle
and nipple must be kept scrupulously
clean.
Prepare enough milk for one meal,
and if any remains after feeding, empty
at once and thoroughly scald the bottle
and nipple. If the child thrivcs and
gains weight on this diet, nothing else
should be given it for food Cor the first
six or seven months. A less quantity
of ~ato:, however, should be added to
the milk as the child grows older. If
there is a tendency to constipation, oat-
meal cruel, made in the same way as
the barley-water, only boiled for a
longer time, may be used to dilute the
milk. If this food does not agree with
the child, something else must be sub
stituted, and in such cases u physician
should be consulted and prescribe its
diet. Do not trust to infant foods sold
in the shops, without his advice.
Children from nine to ten months of
age may be allowed greater variety
of food, but milk should still form an
important part of their diet.
CARE IN HOT WEATHER.
Great care is required in the diet of
children during the extreme hot months.
1t is of great Importance at this time
to keep children cool The coolest
room in the house should be assigned
for their sleeping room, and they
should be given bath before bed time
During the heat of the day they should
be lightly clad. and it would be wei,
also to give them Il cool sponge bath.
If child is seized with diarrhea, keep
it quiet in a cool place and look care
fully to its diet, which it wnuid be well
to reduce for short time. If It does
not soon get better, send for a physi-
clan, and do not give the child medi-
cine without his sanction.
Finally, whoever would raise healthy
children must be doubly guarded as to
the cleanliness of his house and sur
roundings. The little ones suffer first
from unhealthy surroundings, and the
house, from garnet to cellar, should be
clean and well aired. Have an eve to
all sinks, water-closcts, bath-tubs, etc,
making sure, by repeated examinations,
that the air of your dwelling is not be-
ing poisoned by escaping sewer gas.
Remove filth of all kinds from house,
cellar and yard; be sure your drinking
water is pure, and not contaminated by
teachings from any cess-pool or privy
vault.
You should not only put your own
house and premises in proper condition.
but insist that your neighbor does like
wise.